Stash-Busting Afghan Projects

The first thing I think of when I think of stash busting is a really big blanket. I guess that’s because I’m working on a really big blanket, and have been on and off (mostly off, admittedly) for about a year now. It’s in strips that are 6 feet long, and I’m hoping to make it 6 feet wide, if I can stand it that long (there is no worry of running out of yarn before it’s that size). It will be massively huge, heavy, warm, completely unwashable and awesome. And it will use a lot of yarn.

You can find more Stash Busting Knitting patterns here

I guess that’s the main reason afghans and stash busting go together, because they’re a great way to use up a lot of yarn. You can make individual squares with the different colors, or just let it stripe, or make log cabin blocks and sew them together. (Speaking of log cabins, check out the Parcheesi Afghan by Janine Bajus, which combines log cabin squares and garter stitch borders.

You don’t really need a pattern for a project like this. It can be as simple as knitting long strips and sewing them together when you’re done (as in this project, Blankety-Blank, from Completely Cauchy), which has the benefit of being more portable than my join as you go method. If you want a slightly more organized look, try the N² Imaginations Stashbuster Afghan.

Mitered squares are another great choice for stash-busting, because you can make them small or large and they’re really portable and easy once you get the hang of the shaping. The Stained Glass Mitered Afghan by Joan L. Hamer is a beauty and a free Ravelry download. Looking for more Stained glass style knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

Looking for a shape that’s not quite square? Why not knit “squares” that are shaped like fish, as in this project from April Broken? Or try Frankie Brown’s little buttons, which are still square but are filled with fluff to make a puffy blanket. (Frankie also has the amazing 10-Stitch Blanket, which is worked in a squareish spiral so that you never have more than 10 stitches on the needle at a time.)

If you want to get really crazy, check out the Oddball Sampler Afghan by Sarah Bradberry, which is made up of all sorts of different squares.

And if you’re willing to pay for a pattern, the beekeeper’s quilt by tiny owl knits is a classic with its puffy hexies. Lee Meredith also has a cool-looking project in her Color-by-Number Stash-Busting Blanket, which uses fun tricks for minimal finishing.

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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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